Reality
by RebbieChan
Summary: When tragedy strikes, all reality begins to drift away. Is any of this real? In the world of dreams and nightmares...why do we believe in these dreams as we have them and wonder how when we wake? How do we know that this isn't a dream. What is reality?
1. Chapter One: Robin

Alright...so i had a dream and this was it. of course in the dream it made less sense...maybe it doesn't make sense...oh well, i think that it's cool.

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Reality

Chapter One: Robin: Willing to Believe

In the darkness there was nothing. First came pain, everywhere it spread until it numbed away. Next came sound, rhythmically like the sound of breathing. Was there also the sound of leaves crunching underfoot? The thought stuck as a third arrived. The third thing to come was movement, her body bobbed lightly with the sound. She could feel her arms wrapped around something and her legs hanging limp.

Robin opened her eyes to the hazy result of keeping them closed for days. She knew who was carrying her before they adjusted to this and the light. "Amon?" Her voice croaked from lack of use.

Amon turned his head back towards her. His face was covered with dirt and dried blood, signifying that he was not well off either. "Your awake." His voice came out like a hoarse whisper.

"Your hurt." The two words were laced with worry and concern as she noticed the limp in his step.

Amon kept on silently for a while. His breathing was ragged and abnormal. "You have it worse." he finally spoke. He carried her on his back for what seemed to stretch on like an eternity…

…Even though she could barely move, Robin knew that Amon should let her walk on her own. His limping had grown worse and his breathing became so irregular. When had they last eaten? And finally Amon had staggered over a tree root and fell to the forest floor. Robin had felt herself roll away from him and slam into something, knocking the wind out of her. Her vision blurred as she saw Amon forcing himself to stand, clutching a long bloody gash across his chest…

…Her head spun and the sense of biting numbness told her that she was conscious. There was a retching sound and Robin opened her eyes to see blood splatter down to the ground inches from her face. Amon was crouched next to her, cradling his wound with blood dripping from his mouth. His teeth began to chatter and his body began to shake violently.

Robin brought her stiff body up into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around him. He was cold, so cold. "I'll make a fire." She offered, making a motion to get up. Amon shook his head and wrapped his own arms around her waist. His body shook so violently that Robin cursed as flakes drifted down from the sky, marking the first snowfall of the season…

…Robin laid next to Amon in the hospital bed. Still he shook from a nonexistent cold. The doctors couldn't do anything for him, so they let her lay next to him because it didn't harm. "Robin." Amon strained to sound like his usual self. "I can't take this cold anymore." Robin listened to him in dread. "I'm going to give in, Robin, I'm leaving."

She understood, but that didn't mean she was going to simply let this happen. "I can warm you up, I'll do anything Amon. I can help you." The words were lies. She knew that she was helpless. How ironic that someone with Fire craft couldn't use that power to simply warm a freezing person.

"I promise that I'll see you again."…This time everything went black, instead of fading into the next memory. This time Robin refused to remember…to remember Amon's body finally losing all of it's warmth, To remember the his breathing ending…And to remember the pain, the madness, the blame, the anger that grew inside of her. It became black because she refused to believe in what had happened…

…"-Has left us." Doctors. Running. She ran away. If she didn't hear it all, if she didn't remember it all, then it hadn't happened. It wouldn't be reality. She could hide behind her tampered memories, her dreams, and live. Because how could she live in that reality?

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Robin wiped the tears from her eyes. She stood up from her seat and hurried out to the open deck of the train's caboose. The wind helped her calm down.

"He's alive, you know that." She told herself. Amon had said that she would see him again, and she never heard the doctor say it, Robin had seen him again.

Robin had been at Solomon HQ in Italy before returning back to the STN-J. She had been wandering along the street when she saw him. Robin had ran to him and they met in an embrace. But she then had blinked and when she opened her eyes again there was no trace of him.

That he could have been an illusion disturbed her. Robin refused to believe this too, even though it was the logical explanation.

When Robin had returned to the STN-J, everyone accepted the thought that Amon was dead. Robin hadn't told them what she saw. She knew what they would say.

They would think that Robin couldn't accept the fact that Amon saved her but she failed to save him.

And they would be right. Robin wouldn't admit it, she had fooled herself so that even she didn't know, but they would be so right.

The others seemed to have forgotten about Amon. Everyday went on like normal and moved as if he had never been there in the first place. Robin hated it. Amon wasn't there, they should notice the difference. She should notice the difference. But nobody did. Even now it felt like her memories of Amon were of a different world or a past life.

It had become her greatest nightmare; that Amon had never existed in the first place.

Nightmares and memories like nightmares were common for hunters. This profession was made of nightmares, and day after day their nightmares became true. Hunters had no clue as to how far they had drifted into that bizarre world.

"Robin!" Robin jumped at the sound of dogma's voice calling down the compartments. "There you are!" She ran up beside her and leaned against the railing. "What are you doing way out here?"

"I like the breeze, it feels nice." Robin answered.

"Yeah, It is nice." Dojima sighed. She had been worried about her friend, lately Robin was out of it or in a daze. They stood there silently taking it all in. "We're almost to the station, Karasuma wants us to meet up at the front of the train."

"Right now?" Dojima nodded in reply. Robin turned away from the view to the bulk of the train and started forward.

"I just can't get over how cute your tush looks in those jeans." Dojima smiled, throwing Robin in a headlock. "wasn't it a good idea to buy some new clothes?" Robin rolled her eyes and Dojima let go, running ahead of her. "Come on, Robin, let's go!" Robin smiled and hurried after her friend. Having the freedom of simple things like a new change of clothes made the young girl happy, though her style stayed plain and simple; long sleeve t-shirt, dark wash jeans and of course the red pendant that rarely left her neck.

The two girls quickly met up with the rest of the group and took a seat in their closed compartment. A large man with bushy brown afro hair stood next to Karasuma. "Our guide here, Mr.-" She turned to the man.

"No misters, just call me Joe." The man spoke in a gruff voice, making him sound almost stubborn.

"-Joe, would like to brief us on our mission before we arrive."

"For starters, do you all know about Area 51?" Joe asked.

Everyone nodded except for Robin. " I don't" She piped.

"You don't know Area 51?!" Michael exclaimed. "It's a mysterious U.S. government building that's fabled to be a storehouse for extraterrestrial findings!"

"Aliens aren't real." Robin stated.

"Exactly." Joe said. "But witches are." That caught everyone's attention fast. "My branch of the STN-A started research on Area 51 over two years ago and soon we sent some of our hunters in undercover. What we found was shocking." He reached into his bag, took out a folder and handed it to Karasuma to pass around the compartment. When it had finally been passed to Robin, she saw that it contained photos, charts and records. The record sheets were like any school records save a few markings that Robin hadn't seen before. The charts had names and bars that made little sense. Robin filtered through some of the photographs and froze at the sight of one. It showed a cylindrical glass structure that was connected to the ceiling and the floor by casings, inside the cylinder was a girl submerged in some sort of green liquid with medical cords attached to her body. Robin had only seen this once before, at the STN-J factory.

"Did you ever wonder why Zeizen made the Orbo and refused to explain it's secrets to Solomon?" Joe inquired. "Not only did he fear that Solomon would shut his sick experiment, he didn't want them to know of his form treason, selling it."

"Solomon would have killed him, literally." Michael nodded in understanding. "That's why when you came, with Solomon already suspicious, he was afraid that you were looking for his secrets and sent out to hunt Robin."

"And why we had to take him down, and why we have to do it again." Sakaki concluded.

"Yes, Area-51 as we found out is a military base that, unknowing to the U.S. government, specifically trains witches as soldiers." Joe exclaimed, returning the folder to his bag. "Some of our members had been found out while trying to take it down from within and were subsequently killed. Currently, I am the only one from my team who is undercover and in full trust of the AFO."

"So you want us to go in there, when others have failed- and died- Do you think we're crazy?" Dojima scrutinized.

"_I_ don't want, _Solomon_ wants. The big men on top saw what you did to the factory and assume that you can and will do it again." Joe corrected. "I still have to get you five into the system, it takes a while so you'll be staying in town for a few days." This guy was all business, Robin though that if the majority of his team had been killed that he should at least seem a little sad.

The train arrived at the station and the team was lead through the town. All of the buildings were spread out, giving it a more rural feel. Robin started dazing out, as Joe began telling them about himself, it was something that had started since late. In her mind she imagined Amon there with them, What he would say, what he would think, and what he would do. Robin took a particular interest when Joe told them that he had married one of the hunters in his team, luckily the only one not sent on the fatal mission because she had became pregnant. What would Amon say about that? Would he think that marrying a teammate was okay? She whished that he was there so that she could ask him.

Then all of a sudden they had come to a large Victorian house and Joe was opening the door for them. Robin blinked as the door swung out, something was carved onto it's front. "What is that?" Robin asked more to herself than anyone else, turning back to look at it again. The carving was one like an upside down horse shoe. "Omega?"

"This used to be one of those 'Greek life' houses before the university was turned into a high school." Joe explained, still holding the door open even though by now everybody had entered the house. "I wish I could give you the tour but I have to go." He never once set foot in the house before he turned to leave.

This was all very awkward, they had all of a sudden been rushed onto a plane to America and spent the majority of the day traveling with no explanation. And now that they had finally been told what was going on they were left here with no clue as to what they were supposed to do.

None of that bothered Robin though. A university being turned into a high school, did that actually happen here? Robin never heard anything like it. _Omega…Amon, would you find it suspicious? Or am I being paranoid?_ She shook her head and noticed that they had moved from the hall to a side lounge, Karasuma was holding her head and lying down on the huge l-shaped couch that took up the majority of two walls.

"-Uldn't we at least go find the bedrooms?" Sakaki was saying.

"I would, but that couch looks really comfy, Ms. Karasuma already fell asleep." Michael yawned. "And come to think of it, I'm beat."

One by one the members of the STN-J reluctantly fell into the world of dreams, as if a spell had been cast over them. Robin felt her body weaken under the temptation of sleep, but she couldn't give in, It was her duty to do as Amon would and inspect the place.

Darkness spread throughout the room like the shadow of someone stepping in front of a light. It seemed to grow in the corners like a monster, growing and growing to consume her. _I am not afraid of the dark._ She told herself, moving to begin the examination.

"_Hmpf, just make sure you get this done."_ Robin turned at the sound of Amon's voice. There, only a few feet away, he stood.

"Amon!" Robin cried in shock, running towards him.

_Thump._ Her head hit something cold and hard. _"Regardless of your fears."_ Amon's voice echoed in her mind. Robin looked up to see herself staring back at her in confusion. A mirror. She slid down to her knees feeling empty.

"Now that was sad." Robin heard footsteps coming up from behind. A hand reached and clasped around the back of her neck, fingers pressing in and closing her airway. In a swift movement, Robin set fire to the person's hand, pulled away, and turned to face her attacker.

Before she could get a good look, their body bubbled into a mass less dark form and swooped towards her. Robin somersaulted out of the way and watched as the shadow formed into a familiar figure. "Dojima?!"

"Who else would I be?" Dojima gave Robin a look as if she had said the dumbest thing possible. "Are you alright? You look as if you've seen a ghost." Her face creased with worry. Robin blinked in confusion, washing away her previous animosity towards her friend. The wariness, though, stayed. "Come on, it's not like I'm gonna hurt you." She teased, even adding in an eye roll.

"Then what was that a second ago!" Robin took a step back and stood up. Could she have been hallucinating earlier?

"What are you talking about?" Dojima now spoke cautiously, sounding confused. Silence followed. Neither knew what was going on, why the other acted the way they did.

Robin's eyes widened and she brought a hand to her mouth. _It must have been a hallucination, maybe I'm more tired than I thought._ But when she started to apologize for her mistake, Amon stared at her from behind Dojima.

"_Are you satisfied with that answer?"_ He asked in a condescending tone. _"A simple hallucination?"_

"I can be, I won't believe that a friend would do anything like that." As Robin spoke, Dojima's eyebrows quirked up.

"_You can't be that surprised, can you?"_ He looked irritated.

Robin looked down, thinking hard. "Do you believe that it's more than that?"

"Who are you talking to?" Fear now sounded in her voice. "Robin?"

"_Call it a hallucination, it would be the same as saying that I am one too."_ Dojima took a step forward And reached out for Robin's shoulder.

"No!" Robin screamed wildly, shirking herself away from her friend. She glared at her. "Don't pretend that you can't hear him too!"

Dojima's eyes widened, yet she continued towards Robin to take her in her arms. "Robin." She whispered. "He's dead."

Rage filled Robin as Dojima gave her a consoling hug. Her temples pulsed and her sight grew dim. "Liar."…

…The scenery around the two changed. They stood on opposite ends of a huge empty black space. Dojima was now wearing a fighter's gi and her hair was tied back in a ponytail. She stood in position to strike.

Robin looked down to find herself in samurai's robes, a sword in hand. Rage and anger continually growing in her heart for a reason long forgot. The words she now spoke seemed as if they were coming from another's mouth instead of her own. "Your crimes against us Guardians will not go unpunished, deserter." She did not question it.

"Heh, So what? I found a better way to relive myself of this fear. I won't live in that horrible fear that you 'Guardians' think you can control." A large shadow, darker than the darkness around them, creped up from her back. "With the shadows, I have nothing to fear."

"If you're going full power, then so shall I." Robin whipped a talisman from her pocket. She drew it up against her blade. "I summon the Great Prince Belias Ifret III!" Fire wrapped up around her and formed into a puppy.

"A puppy?" Dojima broke out into laughter. "That's your 'Great Prince'?!"

"Ingshi!" Robin cried. Belias split into five flaming puppies and charged the woman mocking him.

Dojima's eyes widened in surprise and began dodging the constant attacks. Getting into the grove of things, she spoke. "If this is the best you got then there is no way you're going to win!" She clapped her hands together, which started to glow, and pushed them away from her body, causing a shock wave that sent the pups flying back. She smirked and sprinted forward.

"Ingrai!" The spell raised the pups back to fight. They chased after the incoming attacker.

"Too late!" Dojima sent a flying kick at Robin's face. Robin bent backwards and Dojima landed behind her. The shadow stayed in front, surrounding her.

Robin glanced between the too unsure of what to do, for reassurance she clutched her red pendent.

All of a sudden none of this made any sense. Why were they fighting? Dojima in _fighter's gi_? Around her, the darkness dissolved, bring her back to the living room were everyone else slept.

"I have you surrounded!" Dojima kept on. Everything had returned to normal except her mentality. Robin glanced from her hand holding the pendent to Dojima's crazed look. Her friend charged forward and Robin made her decision, she ripped the pendent from her neck and pressed it into Dojima's attacking fist.

Immediately Dojima froze. "What am I doing?"

"Something was controlling us." Robin answered, putting the pieces together. "My pendent stopped it."

"It was like…a dream." Dojima nodded. "Do you think someone's trying to kill us?"

"Yes, a witch is here." _And so is Amon…_


	2. Chapter One: Amon

This story is going to be really short. in my writing, i'm halfway done, with this chapter i'm a third. So...Please enjoy!!!!

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**Reality:**

"I can't believe that Robin is_ still_ sleeping." Sakaki muttered. Dojima glanced over to the sleeping form of her friend, understanding why she was so tired.

"Just let her be." Sakaki shrugged and they walked on, not before hearing Robin mumble 'Amon' in her slumber.

**Chapter One: Amon: Climb to the Darkness**

Darkness. It was hidden away in every heart and when tragedy struck it would take control.

Amon walked on the street along with the rest of the STN-J on their way to begin this new mission, yet his footsteps made no noise. And nobody saw him.

Maybe it was because on this street that he walked was below the one they walked and the soles of his shoes clicked against theirs'. Maybe it was because their sky was blue when his was red. He walked along in this negative upside-down world that was his own. Either way, he was in solitude. And nobody cared.

He walked on wondering what the others were saying, how they saw things, and what they were thinking about.

In both of the worlds they came to a house with a mark on the door. "_Omega…Amon, would you find it suspicious? Or am I being paranoid?"_ The quiet voice of his partner came to him. Amon blinked and gazed down at Robin through the floor, she followed the others in like a zombie and sat down.

Glancing around his world's room, Amon searched for a reason as to why he could hear her. Then, as he was comparing one corner of their world to his, he noticed that something was off. In their world there was a mirror, in his world it was a staircase that lead down into the floor.

The stairs led down, but about halfway down the stairs he realized that they were going up. Now at the top-or bottom-of the stairs there was a glass wall that showed him a right side view of the room in their world. He must have came out on the other side of the mirror.

Amon's eyes darted over towards the couch at the sight of movement. Robin stood up and glanced around the room warily, slowly taking steps out. "_I am not afraid of the dark"_ He heard her voice again, but her mouth made no movements.

_Am I hearing her thoughts?_ Amon asked himself. If that were true, could she hear his? Would she be able to hear him if he spoke to her? "Hmpf, just make sure you get this done." He said to test it out. Robin perked up at the sound. "Regardless of your fears."

"_Amon!"_ Robin cried and ran towards him, hitting hard against the glass. It gave Amon an idea and ran halfway back down the stairs. He charged back up, knocking into the glass. It shook but didn't break like he thought it would.

"_Now that was sad._" Amon turned back out, rubbing his hurt shoulder, to see a shadowy figure approach Robin from behind. It's hand reached out around her throat. Amon reached for his gun and shot at the glass, again it only shook, but now the stairwell was full of smoke and he couldn't see anything and he couldn't hear anything over his coughing.

"_It must have been a hallucination, maybe I'm more tired than I thought."_ Robin again. What was she talking about? What was a hallucination, him? The smoke began to clear and he saw Dojima standing with her back to him and Robin crouching on the floor, staring up at her in confusion.

"Are you satisfied with that answer?" He asked in a condescending tone. "A simple hallucination?"

"_I can be, I won't believe that a friend would do anything like that." _From this, Amon was able to guess that the shadow had been Dojima. Always the naïve answer, would Robin ever learn?

"You can't be that surprised, can you?" Why did Robin have to be so trusting, it irritated him that her trustfulness would probably get her killed in this profession.

Robin looked down, thinking hard. _"Do you believe that it's more than that?"_

Before Amon could answer, Dojima spoke. "_Who are you talking to? Robin?"_

A shadow now grew around the two and words that Amon had not said echoed through his ears. _"Call it a hallucination, it would be the same as saying that I am one too."_ The shadow grew so that he could no longer see them.

"_No!" _He heard Robin shout. _"Don't pretend that you can't hear him too!"_

"_Robin. He's dead."_

The shadow now shrunk around them and they disappeared. "Is that what they think?" Amon muttered. "If that's true, then why haven't I met the devil yet?" His hand trailed across the edge of the glass. He looked out, seeing the moon shine down at his through this world's windows. His hand hit a bump. Amon felt around it, a clasp. His hands shook as he undid it, swinging it open.

Now he was here, in the world he had always known. _Robin. I have to find Robin._ He took a step forward and was shot out the window. Amon sprawled across the back deck of the house. "What the…?" He moved to crouch on all fours and flew up into the air, landing on the roof. Now his limbs started moving without him telling them too, throwing himself off the roof and running away from the city. "Fine. Let's see where this world wants to take me."

Finally, after what seemed like ages of running, Amon stopped on the outskirts of a huge base. A red fifty-one was painted on the side of the building.

He took a step towards the building but it was becoming dawn, and his feet sank into the ground. Amon dropped down through the earth, back into the underside. Back into his world.

_The dark then, is the home of the dead._


	3. Chapter Two: Robin

**Reality:**

**Chapter Two: Robin: Nightmare House**

Robin woke before dark and ventured to the kitchen. "There really isn't much to eat." Michael said from the dinning table, working on his laptop.

"Yeah, that's because you keep eating it all." Sakaki complained, swiping a bag of chips from him. Dojima sighed and glared at the two. "Wha?" Sakaki mumbled with food in his mouth.

"All you guys can do is think about food, when one of us is sick!" Dojima snapped.

"So? Ms. Karasuma is just a little nauseous from the plane and train ride yesterday. Nothing to worry about." Sakaki shrugged it of.

"Hey, that rhymes! Train and plane." Michael added.

"Pretty cool right?" Sakaki laughed.

Dojima rolled her eyes and dragged Robin out of the kitchen with her. "Boys are so dumb."

"It _did_ rhyme." Dojima shot her a look. "Okay, sorry. Boys are horrible." Robin laughed. "What about Karasuma, though? Is she worse?"

"Yep. I think it may be connected to what happened last night, like somehow the witch is draining her energy for their own." Dojima pondered. "What do you think?"

"It's possible." Robin was already onto other things. "How about tonight though, the witch I think will probably be in the house. Are we just going to search for him?"

"Why not? With that pendent of yours, we can do it easy!" Neither really had any clue as to how wrong she was.

Again, they waited until everyone else had fallen asleep. Again darkness came over them. Robin and Dojima each held onto part of the necklace that hung between them. After clearing the first floor, they moved up to the second. "Robin? Can I ask you something?" Dojima started hesitantly. "About Amon?"

Robin froze upon hearing his name, but continued on. "Sure."

"Well, earlier today I heard you say his name when you were sle-"

"Did you see that?" Robin cut her off. She could have sworn that she saw something move over by the window.

"No."

From the corner of her eye, she saw the swishing movement again. "There!" She whispered, pointing to the window.

"That's just the curtain, the window's open." Dojima explained. And sure enough the curtain waved in the open window sill. Moonlight slid over them as a cloud moved out of the way. The red pendent sparkled in the light.

A sound like a low growl came from behind them and in the next second a raccoon jumped at the pendent. In shock the two of them let go. The raccoon jumped out the window with it's prize. "Uh-oh." …

…Robin felt as if she was being pulled away from where she had been standing, darkness surrounding her. The presence of her friend long gone. Robin stumbled around in the dark until she found herself in a small square room. She was sitting with her knees to her chest as if she had been hiding.

The door opened with a soft creak. Someone entered, their face hidden in shadow. "What are you doing hiding here in this closet?" The voice sounded familiar, yet Robin couldn't place where she had heard it. All that she knew as he sat down next to her was that he was a man. "Is there something you want to talk about?" He sounded very kind, but still the only thing she wondered about was why the witch sent her here.

_What kind of dream is this? I expected something that might kill me._ The thought echoed through her mind, sending a foreboding feeling in the pit of her stomach. She turned her head to face the man whose face was now completely in shadow with red glimmering eyes. A twisted smile spread and the door softly creaked shut, engulfing them in darkness.

Robin's heart raced. Something was going to happen, torture? Or was he just going to kill her? She only know realized how little power she had here. If someone was controlling the dreams, then couldn't they make her weak? Take away her powers in the dream? As that thought arose, Robin immediately had to make sure and found that she couldn't make fire.

The fear sunk in. She couldn't remember where the door had been, or if it was even there anymore. Robin knew that she wasn't a physically strong person and she would not be able to fight him off. She braced her herself for whenever the attack would come. The standstill seemed to go on forever and she began to wonder if he was there anymore. _Just go for the door._ She urged herself. _Fine._ She focused all her energy in that first push off the ground.

A hand reached out and wrapped around her arm, forcing her back down hard against the wall. The impact blurred her vision, the bright red mixing with black. Her head throbbed then cooled as he touched her forehead with his own. He grabbed her other wrist and twisted it between her back and the wall.

Robin squirmed ineffectively in his clutch. He pressed close up against her and his lips forcibly found hers. She twisted her head away from him and gasped for air. The moment didn't last long, in the next second she was on the floor.

Tears came to her eyes as she found her attempts at breaking free pitiful. How scared she was kept running through her mind and the only sustainable thought that kept going was that she whished Amon were there to protect her. _Amon…_Her limbs ached. "A-Amon…" Pain…There was so much pain. "Amon!" She screamed.

"What the heck's your problem, Robin?" Dojima irately shouted. Robin's eyes flew open wide to see herself sitting in the passenger side of Dojima's car. "Are you trying to have the witch see us?!"

Robin panted, trying to catch her breath. She felt so confused -and relived- that she was here. What could possibly happen this time? Dojima was staring intently out the window towards a figure in black, probably the witch they were hunting. "Sorry, I had a nightmare."

"Obliviously." Dojima huffed. "And what's with the 'ooh! Amon!', aren't you a bit old to be having imaginary friends?" Robin froze.

"What did you say?" She demanded.

Dojima gave Robin a look. "Everyday, you come and tell me about what this 'Amon' did as if he's there on the missions with us. Once you even came up with a story where he sent you into hiding and then you took down the factory, or something life that."

Robin stared blankly at her. "You mean- that didn't happen?"

The witch in black turned down an alley. Dojima sighed. "We'll talk about this later. Just keep yourself together for now." She took out an orbo gun an hurried out of the car. Robin followed suit, putting on her glasses.

They chased the witch until it hit a dead end. Dojima pointed her gun at it's back. The witch emitted a laugh. "I knew this would happen eventually." It was a man.

"No…" Robin took a step back.

He turned around. The witch was Amon. "So, you caught me. After all these years of the STN-J trying to forget about me."

"Amon…?" Robin whispered.

"Robin, at least you didn't forget." Amon stared towards her. "How old are you now? He held out his arms as if to pull her into embrace.

_Bang!_ The bullet hit Amon in the shoulder, sending him into the wall. The smoke cleared from Dojima's gun. Robin stared at her in disbelief. "You always screw things up, don't you?" The blond spat. "I'll have to redo her memory again."

"Figures it was you, rat." Amon spoke through gritted teeth. "So your real allegiance was with Zeizen after all?" She stared down at him with cold eyes. Amon took out a gun of his own.

_Bang! Bang!_ Dojima rolled out of the way and fired back.

_Bang! Bang!_ Amon stumbled, failing to dodge one of the bullets. Just then Robin noticed how tattered and weak Amon looked, as if he had been living on the streets with little to eat. She also noticed the lust for blood in each of their eyes. _They won't stop until the other is dead._ Robin shook her head with determination. _I won't let that happen!_ She ran in front of Dojima. "Please, don't!"

"You wouldn't understand!" Dojima shouted and pushed her out of the way.

Robin hurried over to Amon. "Amon, please!"

He moved her out of the way also. "I'm sorry. You're going to have to wait a little longer." He ducked to avoid a bullet. "Just stay out of the way!" One of Amon's shots hit Dojima on her left shoulder.

_If she dies here, she might in real life!_ "Stop it!" Robin shouted, knocking her way in between the two. "Stop it just stop!" She felt a hand rest on her shoulder and knocked it away. She turned to glare at the person.

It was Michael. They were in the office building, the other three stared with wide eyes. "What's going on in here?!" The chief came storming out of his office. Nobody said a word, only glanced between one another. "Well?" He asked impatiently.

"We were working on our cases when Robin jumped out of her seat and started yelling." Karasuma answered warily. Everyone turned to Robin.

"D-Dojima and Amon were fighting…"

"I may not have been working but I was sitting here the whole time!" Dojima said, holding up her hands in defense.

"And who's 'Amon'?" Sakaki asked.

"You can't remember him because Dojima made us forget." They stared at her with blank faces. Robin searched her memory for something to get them to understand. "How would we have taken down Zeizen without him?"

"Zeizen?"

"Robin, are you feeling all right?" Karasuma warily approached her…

…The colors around her meshed together in swirls and their voices echoed loudly. "What is she talking about?"

"Again?"

"She actually believe these people exist?"

"I think she's lost it."

"If her fits wouldn't interrupt our work we wouldn't have to do this…"

"The results came back, it's confirmed."

Robin was screaming, she wasn't sure why, but she was. Rough hands reached out and pulled her in, away from the darkness and into the light. "I'm not crazy! They're real! It's true!" The hands pulled her into the light of a plain white room. The door closed leaving her in solitude. She couldn't move her arms. "They're trying to trap me." She started laughing. "Because I know the truth. You can't keep me here forever!" She cackled on…

…Robin blinked. She raised her aching head slowly. Sunlight reflected off of the wood paneled floor. _Am I back?_ She sat up and saw Dojima lying next to her. "Dojima." She poked her friend.

"Ugh. Whaddya want…?" She mumbled.

"Dojima wake up, I think it's morning."

Dojima wiped the drool from her mouth and sat up. "Of course it is, that's why I was sleeping."

"But we are back!" Robin exclaimed.

"Until tomorrow night." They now began to realize the extent of what they were dealing with. _If only Amon were here to help us._


	4. Chapter Two: Amon

**Reality:**

**Chapter Two: Amon: I am death**

As the sky in his world grew brighter, Amon's feet sunk back into the ground. Nighttime had arrived. Soon he was submerged in the darkness of the world that the 'living' shared. He spotted many guards outside of the building with the red fifty-one. His hands reached for the pistols at his sides, indicating that this was not to be a stealth mission.

He crept slowly along the side of the building stopping only when he caught sight of a security camera. He pushed up against the wall hoping that it wouldn't catch him and the wall formed to his body, pulling him in for the moment.

Amon waited in the darkness until he heard footsteps in the gravel. He reached out of the wall, grabbed the guard around the neck, swung him back against the now solid wall, and put a bullet through his head. He took the man's weapons for his own and continued on to wait under the view of the camera.

From here, he could see the entrance. It was heavily guarded, and it wasn't as if he could simply dash in with guns blazing. _Then again…_He rechecked his weapons; a knife, three pistols, a shotgun, and a flashlight. He could make it work. There was a fence running in offset to the building with two watchtowers on either side of it's gate, he formed his plan.

He threw the flashlight towards the guards and it landed in between the two closest. They leveled their guns and started towards him. Kicking off the building for momentum, he leapt across the clearing and up the fence. Shots fired after him, missing and landing pitifully away. Amon fired his own from above and the two guards fell to the ground. In the next second, his feet touched the floor of the watch tower. A fourth down. And to end the barrage he sniped the guard from the other watch tower.

Again, he looted the dead's weapons. After he finished, he started towards the door. He placed his hand on the cool steel and closed his eyes. Part of him was waiting patiently to hear Robin's thoughts again while the other told him it was stupid. He sighed, he was no longer in the same area as her so he probably wouldn't be able to hear her. Amon pushed forward and opened the door.

The sound of gunshots deafened him. _Move!_ He swung back behind the door, avoiding a rain of bullets bursting forth from the entrance. There was an eerie silence as the soldiers waited behind the door, Amon's breathing racketing in his ears on the other side.

Finally a soldier cautiously crept out, luckily checking the opposite direction before turning Amon's way to find a gun barrel between his eyes. _Blam! _The body fell limp to the ground, like a signal, and men began pouring out of the building.

The first of the wave was greeted with Amon spinning around him, slashing his head clean off with his knife. Amon forced his way in. He shot the next guy, ducking under a bullet then leapt up and cut deep into the wielder's chest.

Three more soldiers came to surround him. He kicked the one in front of him in the chest, sending him to the ground. Amon ducked under the other two's shots, their bullets digging into the soldier across. The soldier he had kicked raised himself to his feet and came at Amon with his knife.

Amon grabbed the man's hand and pulled him forward into his knee, knocking the wind out of him, then finished it with a blow to the back of the head.

He straitened himself up and looked around, finally fully inside. Long corridors stretched out to his left and right. Red lights began to flash along with an ear splitting alarm. Amon tensed and hurried down the right path.

The flashing red light became his heartbeat. Every flash and every beat becoming another fallen soldier. Amon could no longer hear the sound of the alarm, pure silence was the only thing he heard as the slaughter continued. Nothing could stop him.

"_What kind of dream is this?"_ Amon slammed the final body of this barrage against the wall. "_I expected something that might kill me."_

_Robin._ He completely froze as if he was coming out of a trance. There was blood everywhere, mangled bodies littering the floor. His eyes widened. Robin must be near. She would not like what he had done.

The alarm resumed sounding in his ears.

_Could she be here? Why? _Taking one last look at the sickening carnage, He started in a sprint. _If she is here then she is in danger!_

"_Just go for the door."_ Amon skidded to a halt and ripped open a door. It lead him onto a balcony going around the length of a large open room that lead several floors underground. _Down there!_

"_Amon…" _Faster. "_A-Amon…"_ Faster. _"Amon!"_

"I'm coming, damn it!" Amon shouted in frustration, grabbing the railing and swinging himself over onto a lower walkway that went across the whole room.

He heard the loud echoing footsteps of soldiers chasing him. He glanced fleetingly over the railing, there were no more walkways close enough to safely jump to. He heard the guns fire. He was trapped.

One by one he felt the bullets pierce into his back. He stumbled forward from the impact, falling onto his hands and knees. _No…_Blood dripped from his mouth. The sound of the alarm faded. The floor came closer towards him.

Literally. It wasn't him falling towards it, it was pulling him in. Back into the darkness.

---

Darkness. It was hidden away in every heart and when tragedy struck it would take control.

Amon opened his eyes to a cool surface on his cheek. He blinked and brought himself up. There was a flashing light and an alarm. The light was blue. This was his world.

He looked down to where he would always see the world that Robin lived in. Instead of seeing her, he saw himself. Blood ran down his back as he shakily stood up. The injury didn't seem to bother him. In a moment Amon saw himself charge at the soldiers and send them to their graves.

_That can't be me._ More and more soldiers poured in from all directions. More and more soldiers fell into the growing pool of blood. _I have no reason to…I have to…_He looked at his hands. His skin was dark in this world. Amon glared at them, it wasn't supposed to be like that. Just like the sky should be blue and not red. He shouted and slammed his fists into the ground.

_Where am I?_ "Why am I here?" Desperation creped into his voice.

"_They won't stop until the other is dead."_ Amon lifted his head. "_I won't let that happen!"_

"I won't let that happen." Amon repeated. _I won't…Give up._

"_If she dies here, she might in real life!"_

"This is not…a game." _I must protect her._ He closed his eyes feeling the darkness pull him down again.

His eyes flew open on the surface, where blood ran red and bodies lay long forgotten around him. "I'll do whatever it takes!" He held his pistol firmly in his hand again. It was time to finish this.

He continued following the path that circled downwards until he finally came to the bottom. On the bottom floor in the middle the room there was a huge dome. Instinct sent Amon rushing towards it, spotting a door.

A kick sent the door flying inside the dome, followed by a shout coming from inside. Amon took a step forward. The dome looked like some sort of lab and standing nest to a test station were two men. One of them held a red pendent in his hand. Robin's.

Amon grabbed the man roughly by the collar. "What did you do with her!"

The man whimpered and held up his hands in defense. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Don't worry." The other man stepped forward and rested his hand on Amon's arm. "She and the rest of them are fine. For now."

Amon hit the hand away. "How did you get this?"

"A 'raccoon' stole it." He smirked. "Why does it matter anyway? We've got one of our most talented to take their lives as you did to my comrades moments ago."

"At that house."

"You know it?"

Amon pointed his gun at the man. For someone facing the barrel of a gun, he seemed pretty confident. The table next to them lifted into the air. _A witch._

"My craft will defeat you."

Amon took out a second pistol. He charged the man, ducked under the table and shot him dead. "Stuff it kid."

He examined the room while reloading. This would be perfect. He had picked up many bombs on his way here.

---

Amon suck back into the ground as the explosion filled his ears. A red pendent in hand.


	5. Chapter Three: Robin

**Chapter Three: Robin: Light in Darkness**

"What are we supposed to do now?" Dojima threw her arms up into the air in exasperation. "Chase down the raccoons?"

"I'll do it, we're useless without it." Robin sighed.

"Ahh! Get away you sickies!"

"I wonder why my pendent worked against the craft."

"You didn't sneak some orbo into it, did ya?" Dojima joked, elbowing Robin in the side.

"-Like screw the mission! If we're all sick we can't do it!"

"God, Sakaki! I can hear you all the way down the hall!" Dojima shouted as they came into the room. Michael and Karasuma were (attempting) to rest while Sakaki rambled from the end of Michael's bed.

Robin placed a tray of soup on the night stand. "We brought soup." She handed a bowl to the two of them.

"Thanks." Karasuma mumbled.

"Yeah, thanks Robin." Michael coughed.

"Hey, I helped too!" Dojima snapped.

"Right, I bet you just gabbed." Sakaki added.

"How is that any different from what you're doing?"

"Got me there."

Dojima rolled her eyes. "Come on Robin, let's go capture some raccoons." She grabbed Robin by the arm and swung her out. Sakaki stared after her in confusion.

"Raccoons?"

They approached the front door. "Are we seriously going to hunt the raccoons?" Robin asked.

"Why not?" Dojima reached for the handle to pull the door open. When her hand touched it a force pushed her backwards and she fell to the ground. "What the hell?"

"What happened?"

"I don't know it pushed me back!"

Robin reached for the handle and the same thing happened. "I have an idea!" She got up and out to the back porch, meeting no resistance. "Just climb over the railing!"

"Great idea!" Dojima ran past her and leapt over the railing. Not realizing that the porch stretched out over a river five feet below. _Splash!_ She recovered to the surface, glaring at Robin who currently could not breathe due to laughter. "Shut up."

Robin climbed down a nearby tree onto a rock to avoid falling in as well. "Hey Dojima, do you know where raccoons live?"

"No." She replied, climbing up next to her.

"Neither do I."

"Great." They climbed back up the hill and peered under the porch. "They like shinny things right?" She took off her watch and wagged it under the porch. "Here little guy!" Two little eyes glinted from in the darkness.

"There it is!" The raccoon jumped out past them and growled. "He doesn't look too friendly…" The raccoon leapt towards Dojima who screamed and jumped back.

From the upstairs window Sakaki shouted at them. "What are you guys doing?! You'll get rabies!"

"Rabies?!" They looked down at the now much more threatening foe and took a step back. It growled again, they screamed and ran away. Luckily, the evil creature didn't follow.

"I didn't know raccoons could be so scary!" Dojima exclaimed as the came to the front door. "I me- Damn it!" when she went for the door handle, she was sent flying backwards again. "What's up with this stupid door!"

"We can just go back around again." Robin offered, but as they came near the porch the raccoon stayed guarding it.

"Today officially sucks." She watched as Robin took a wide path around the porch to avoid the raccoon. "Where are you going?"

"The tree that leads up to the second story window." She pointed.

"Seriously think we can climb that?" Robin shrugged in reply.

After many attempts, none ever even making it halfway up, they gave up and eyed the beast that still guarded the porch. "If you throw the watch away from the porch, he would ran towards it and we could sneak in." Robin formulated a plan.

"Now way! Do you know how much this cost!"

"The watch, or spend the night outside."

"Actually," Dojima started. "That may be a good idea." Robin stared blankly at her. "What if the dream craft only works in the house?"

"It's getting late." Robin whispered, nodding at her friend's statement. It was true, the sun had already started to set. Hopefully, Dojima would be right.

Darkness came. The breeze blew cold. A pair of eyes watched them from next to the house. The eyes came closer and rose higher into the air than possible for the small raccoon. It's form changed, into one of a man.

"Mr. Joe?"

He didn't say a word, only held out his arm. He turned his back to them and laid his hand on the ground. Then he stood up and turned to them. Robin watched him with curiosity. _What is he doing? _Her eyes drifted to the right. She gasped.

Around the corner of the house stood a figure clothed in black._ Amon._ As if forgetting where she was, Robin ran towards him. She watched as he turned away from her, her speed slowing at the sight. "Amon!" He disappeared.

Helplessly, she glanced around in search of where he could have gone. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dojima fall to the ground. Robin turned to face her. The blond rolled down the hill due to it's steepness only avoiding falling into the river by hitting a tree. _Is she…asleep?_

Joe rose from the ground again and turned to Robin. Again he held out his arm in front of him and as he lowered it, Robin felt herself grow drowsy.

_Bang!_ A shot rang out and Joe clutched his now bleeding arm. Robin followed his glare to see the cloaked figure at the edge of the house again. Joe glanced from the figure back to Robin. His body morphed back into the raccoon and he leapt at her.

Robin managed to dodge him, but as she did, she took an awkward step backwards an tumbled back into the river. The last thing she saw before her head slipped under the water was the figure disappearing again.

Her hand reached out through the current towards him. _Amon…_The thought came slowly as if even thoughts moved slower underwater. Eyes squinted open, seeing the shafts of moonlight piercing down towards her and the second pair of eyes staring up at her from below.

Pushing against the water in surprise, she floated backwards into the current and felt herself being pulled further back. But her focus stayed trained on the eyes, it's dark form seemed to grow as the water folded around it, then suddenly it shot to the surface.

Robin's throat grew hot, pleading for air also. Her eyes flicked to the bottom of the river in search of proper footing to push herself to the surface. Gasping, she finally broke through to the surface, meeting the cool night air.

She clumsily treaded water, the weight of her clothes trying to drag her down again. Slowly she made her way to a large rock and hauled herself on top of it. rubbing and blinking her eyes, the blurriness from having them open underwater went away and she could see again.

_Where are they?_ A glance to the left and then right, nothing. A shout came from behind, along with splashing. Robin turned quickly to see Joe struggling to keep himself above water. It was like something was holding him down, or someone.

The man grabbed onto a branch on the other side of the river and as he desperately tried to pull himself up a gloved hand reached up as well, grabbing onto his shoulder and dragging him under again.

As Robin watched this, a realization hit her; the river wasn't that deep, in fact the river was less of a river and more of a creek. When Dojima had fell in earlier that day, the water had only reached about a foot above her head. But when Robin fell in it seemed much deeper and now even deeper for she couldn't even see so much as a dark spot where the two men were under the current that wasn't even there that afternoon.

_I'm going in. _Robin nodded with determination, slipping off her sneakers and socks and throwing them in the grass. Modestly deciding that it would be better to leave the rest of her clothes on, she jumped in.

The water seemed warm to her already wet skin. Still she shivered as she swam further down in the water. Again her throat burned for air and she began to wonder if the river had a bottom, and where were the other two, when all of a sudden she realized she was swimming up.

The river darkened though as she rose to the surface and when she came to they very top and treaded on it's surface, she knew she wasn't in the same place. The sky was white and the moon was black, the trees leaves were red and so was the grass…it looked like someone had taken a picture of the place and these were the negatives.

Robin, momentarily forgetting about Amon and Joe in the awe of this strange area, pulled herself out of the reddish-grey river and onto the bright yellow rocks. She took slow steps in a circular pattern, taking this…world in. She stared up at the sky watching the dark twinkling stars. _Where am I?_ All of a sudden she felt like Alice in wonderland, alone and afraid in a place she did not know.

For a second panic shot through her, she began glancing around warily and hurrying towards the trees, subconsciously searching for a place to hide. But then she remembered seeing Amon through the mirror, this place was where Amon was. The feeling she had drifted away and in it's place came a yearning so powerful. To see him again. To touch him again. To confirm he was alive.

Robin's eyes instantly locked onto the river, hearing movement, to see Amon's head peek out of the water. He heaved the other man out of the water, over his head, and crashing into the porch. She barely noticed Joe's cry in pain as she ran out from behind the trees. "Amon!"

Amon looked genuinely surprised to see her, but that was quick to fade into worry. "What are you doing here?!" He exclaimed, running up to her and grabbing her by the shoulders.

"I-I don't know." Robin's smile faded as see saw the urgency in his face. "What? What's wrong?" Amon looked to be in pain, he grabbed his head and slid to his knees. Robin leaned down with him as he had left one hand on her shoulder. She searched his face, looking for answers when she noticed that he was in negative too.

She gasped and quickly took a look at her own hands, still white as usual. "Amon?" She spoke tentatively and he winced, seemingly at her voice. "Amon?" She repeated and reached to brush away the tears streaming down his face.

"Stop it!" He shouted, smacking her hand away.

"What?"

"Shhh-" Amon paused to gasp and waved his hand. "I can't explain… Just-We need to get you out of here." Robin was about to tell him that she came in through the river when he spoke again. "The river has closed up, I'll take you through the mirror." But he didn't move, just stayed crouched there staring at the ground.

"Do you need help?" Robin asked, trying to pull Amon up from the armpit but he was just about twice her size and weight and she could not move him. "Amon, I need you to try to mo-"

"Watch out!" With the hand he had on her shoulder Amon pulled her to the ground, shielding her from a bullet that zoomed over their heads right where they just were. He quickly drew his own hand gun and shot back at the form on the porch.

Robin sat up and turned towards the sound of the man crying out, as if he had been hit. But that was not the case. Joe stood before them on the ruined porch, staring down at his body as flakes of color peeled away from his feet, revealing the negative form underneath, and worked it's way up his legs. She watched, mouth open in horror, as he screamed and peeled away until Amon lightly shook her by the shoulder. "We don't want you to become a part of this world too, let's go." Robin nodded absently, the words slowly sinking in.

"So you're a part of this world then?" She asked as he lead her inside the house.

Amon nodded solemnly. He brought her back down the stairs, felt the familiar sensation of ending up going up again, and stopped her before the mirror. "Robin, I can't go with you."

"Why?" Robin gasped. He couldn't be serious, she had just gotten him back and now she was supposed to leave him again?

"Because I am a part of this world, and no longer belong in yours."

"But that's a stupid reason! Why can't you just-"

"I'm dead, Robin." Amon spoke firmly, not hinting at his own hesitation of the words. "I can't live there in the day anymore. If I could I would but-!" He let out a startled gasp as Robin suddenly flung him into a hug and buried her face in his chest.

"I-I'll make sure to come back! And I'll find a way to bring you back home, I promise! Just don't give up and say that, f your dead then how are you here with me?" She looked up into his eyes, ignoring the tears flowing down her face. "You are alive."

Amon gave her a faint smile. "If you believe then so do I." He reached into his pocket and pulled out her red pendent. "I found this, I thought you might want it back."

Robin took the pendent and turned towards the mirror. Amon undid the clasp and pushed it open. She stepped out and watched as he closed the door behind her, wondering if she would ever see him again.

Through the glass she saw Amon turn away. How was this fair? She had spent so long it seemed without him and when she found him they only had minutes to be together. And he was going to simply accept that? But it wasn't like _that_ between them, so why did it matter so much? To see his back to her, slowly descending those stairs, It was like feeling his body grow cold again.

The memories came back. The screaming. The crying. The pain.

It was like the doctors gently pulling his lifeless body away from her again. _"Ms. Robin, Amon is-"_

"_No! Sh-ju-just stop it! No! He-he's…He's…"_

"_He has left us."_ They never said it. Robin's hand reached out towards him, hitting the cool glass. But she had touched him and felt his warmth, he was alive.

"But why does it matter so much?" The sun would rise in the morning, just as always, whether he was alive or not. Everything would stay the same. "That's not true." _She_ wouldn't stay the same. The memory of that young girl crying, _her_, could not be forgotten. Tears flowed from her and she leaned her forehead against the glass, wetting it. "Amon." She whispered, hand gripping at the glass. Besides, she had mad a promise and Amon had kept his.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Please review!


	6. Chapter Three: Amon

**Chapter Three: Amon**

Red. Amon stared at the pendent hanging in his hand. Below him, he saw Robin running around outside with Dojima, safe. She appeared to not have a care in the world, but if that was so, how did he have this? And what about him? Didn't she care that he was not there with her?

_Stop that._ He turned so that he was lying on his back, unable to see those images. He lifted the pendant above him, examining it to pass the time. Amon noticed that when he looked through it, things would appear normal.

Amon looked up through it at a large tree, but through it, instead of simply seeing the tree, he saw Robin and Dojima climbing it. Surprised, he turned to the ground and saw the same image. "What exactly is this thing?" Now, he examined it more closely. Still, it only appeared to be a simple necklace.

He sighed and laid back down. Amon felt tired, more tired then he had ever been, but for some reason he couldn't sleep. He hadn't slept since the members of the STN-J had received the call to come here, at least their here. That was over a week ago. But every time he laid down to get some rest a sense of warning would shoot through him, keeping him alert and awake. But alert and awake for what? There was nothing here.

Nothing made any sense. Even so, Amon didn't feel confused. It wasn't in his nature to fret over things he couldn't control.

Laying an arm across his eyes to shield them from the glare of the black green and blue sunset, Amon cleared his mind, hoping to hear just a little more of the world below him.

"_Gosh, it's pretty cold out here."_ Dojima.

"_That's because it's December and you fell in the river."_ Amon smiled. _Robin._ Somehow the sound of her voice always seemed to grab his stomach and twist it in such a strange way that oddly caused him to smile.

"_Oh!"_

"_What?"_

"_I was going to ask you about something yesterday but then there was the whole raccoon stealing thing and I forgot."_ There was a silence after Dojima spoke and Amon got the feeling that whatever the subject was, Robin didn't want to talk about it. _"Do you remember?"_

After another silence Robin finally spoke. _"Yes I remember."_

Dojima must have heard the reluctance in Robin's voice. "_Well, we can talk about it tomorrow or something. I just wanted to say it out loud so I wouldn't forget again."_ Amon was slightly disappointed, he was curious to hear what seemed to bother her so much, but he was also glad the she had not pressed the subject.

"_Ok."_ Robin muttered. Whatever it was, they must have discussed it last night or else he would know what they were talking about. _God, I'm such a creeper._ Little did anyone else know, he watched the young girl day by day and, when possible, night by night. Not like that was completely his fault, no matter where he looked he could just about always see something out of the corner of his eye, and really, there was nothing else to do. Of course, he had the decency to cover his eyes whenever Robin entered a bathroom or changed clothes. _And now I'm justifying it._ Amon sat up in annoyance and picked at the grass, glaring at the little blades that changed from transparent to red as he pulled them from the ground.

His eyes widened in surprise upon seeing a raccoon down in their world then narrowed again in suspicion. '_A 'raccoon' stole it'_. Glancing in the direction of the sun he saw that it's rays were the only thing left visible, night was approaching fast.

Amon hurried back to the house, using the time he had left to grab a gun and a knife just in case before the night came to whisk him away. As expected, he was drawn down into her world. He had one job to do; protect her.

Pushing himself out of the darkness, he found himself climbing sideways out of the house's outside wall, falling painfully to the ground. Amon recovered quickly, pointing his gun out in front of him in anticipation. Nothing. He shook off the feeling of dread that had found it's way inside of him and slowly crept along the side of the wall. Reaching a corner, he peered around it and saw some sort of shape melding into the form of a man. _A witch._ And further beyond the witch was Robin and Dojima.

Recognition formed on Robin's face and for a brief moment Amon was afraid she had seen him. "Mr. Joe?" He exhaled a sigh of relief, until he realized that her gaze drifted back to him. "Amon!" _Crap. _He reached a hand inside the wall and pulled himself in, wide eyed with fear.

"Why… Am I scared?" There was no answer. Yeah, he wanted to be a part of her world and see her again, but he couldn't stand the thought of _her_ seeing _him_. At least not now. Not when he couldn't stay there with her.

He caught his breath and stuck his head out, the man was doing something. Whatever it was, it had effected Dojima and he was now going for Robin. His pistol was shot before the rest of his body had even left the darkness.

The man turned to glare at him, Robin followed suit minus the actual glaring part. There was no doubt that he had been seen. Before any movement could be made the man shape shifted again, this time into a raccoon, and lunged at Robin.

Amon raised his gun again but when he saw that he had missed and landed in the river, he lowered it. Then, for no reason that he could see, Robin fell in too. "Seriously?" He muttered to himself and ran down towards them. As he drew closer the river's current picked up suddenly and both of them struggled to keep their heads above the water. _I'll go in through my side._ And with that thought the darkness grabbed at his feet and pulled him down.

The orange river lay before him, faintly reminding him of soda. He tossed his gun on top of the porch and jumped in, quickly sinking then rising into blue-sih green waters. Opening his eyes to search for them, Amon found that he could see with complete clarity as if he wasn't underwater. Still, there was no sign of Robin. He came to the surface and glanced around. _Where is she!_

To his right the man came up, gasping for air. Amon lunged at him, sending him back under. But he slipped from his grasp and fought for the edge. Amon grabbed his arm, then his leg and side, every time the man slipped away. His prey finally seemed to grab something solid to hold onto, but Amon wasn't beat yet. He latched onto his shoulder and wrapped the rest of his body around him. They sunk fast.

The man twisted and kicked in his hold until Amon silenced him by stabbing him in the side. The rest of the way became much easier and as the waters changed color, he stood on the floor of the river and threw the man over his head, hearing him land with a gratifying crash into the porch.

"Amon!" He turned in complete and utter surprise to see Robin hurrying towards him. How in hell did she get _here_? But more importantly, how he could get her out ran through his mind before the first thought could even fully form.

His whole focus was on what he could do for her but as he splashed through the water towards her a strange pain seared through not his head but his mind. It was like something was trying to force him to feel relived and his feelings of worry were fighting it. Amon stumbled and grabbed onto Robin's shoulder's for support. "What are you doing here?!" He found himself asking a bit too forcefully.

'_something's wrong_' Her expression changed. "I-I don't know." _'Something happened?'_ "What? What's wrong?" _'wrong?-injury? Danger?' _"Amon?" These thoughts, coupling with a sudden new sense of worry, a hint of anger possibly towards something unknown, and a heightening of senses for danger, caused him to wince in pain. _Robin's thoughts._

'_What?-won't tell me, in pain?_ Fear. '_A-_ "Amon?"- _n?'_

"Stop it!" Amon shouted, his world spinning.

Confused. '_His problem?' _Worry. '_W-_ "What?" _-t? Did I do something?'_

_I have to fight this, just for a short time._ "Shhh-I can't explain…just-"

'_can't explain? Why?'_ Worry. Annoyance. '_What exactly?'_

"-We have to get you out of here." He gasped through the rolling waves of pain.

An image of the river came to his mind. '_through the river-'_

"The river has closed up, I'll take you through the mirror."

'_I was about to-Mirror?- tell him about- From the first day!- the river.-he was there!'_ Happiness. Hurt. _'He could have came out to see- and now he's getting ride of- me?' _Worry._ "Not moving. He's hurt.'_

'_D-_ "Do you need help?" _-lp?'_

_It would help if you'd stop that._ Still she grabbed under his arms and tried to pull him up, despite Amon's internal protests.

'_Heavy! Can't do it! Am-_ "Amon, I need you"

Amon stared down at the ground, watching the reflection of themselves in that world. Robin's pitiful attempt at moving him, his pitiful attempt to block out the thoughts and feelings enough to move at least an inch. Through that reflection, he spotted a movement coming from the porch. _The gun!_ "Watch out!" He jerked Robin to the ground and held out his arm towards the man as if he held a gun and a gun appeared, his gun transferred from that man's to his own through the darkness. _Bang!_

"Argghah!" He screamed out, though the bullet hit the glass behind him.

'_Mr. J-That didn't hit him…'_ She let out an inaudible gasp. Amon cringed in memory.

The man's color was peeling away, his life snuffing out. Just like when it happened with him, he remembered the pain, like someone skinning him alive. All he remembered was the pain, he was cold-freezing then there was that pain and nothing else and there _was_ nothing else until a week ago. Why? He had been sleeping for over a month or two then suddenly woke up and couldn't sleep since? "We don't want you to become a part of this world too, let's go."

'_A part…? Amon…So-_ "So you're a part of this world then?"-_en?'_

He nodded and started towards the house. Why? Would he go back to sleep? Or leave any world, forever? "Robin, I can't go with you." He barely choked out the words, standing by the mirror. That damned mirror! Why was it here?! Why did it lead there and why couldn't he go?! Why couldn't he go with her?

"Why?" _Why?_

"Because I'm a apart of this world and no longer belong in yours." _Because I've died. Because I don't belong with you._

"But that's a stupid reason! Why can't you just-?"

"I'm dead!…Robin." His words sounded so dumb and fake to his ears. He couldn't explain this, he couldn't do this to her. He had felt the way she felt when she saw him, the pure joy. And now he felt her pain. "I can't live there in the day anymore!" He fought her tears- his tears from shedding. "If I could I would-!"

She hugged him. In her embrace, everything fell away. His and her feelings dropping like a curtain to reveal something new.

"I-I'll make sure to come back! And I'll find a way to bring you back home, I promise! Just don't give up and say that, if your dead then how are you here with me?" Her eyes met his and one thought resonated through both their minds. "You are alive."

_God, don't cry you idiot._ Smiling, he spoke another unanimous thought. "If you believe, then so do I." _And now we part?_ Then he remembered the pendent in his pocket and took it out. "I found this, I thought you might want it back."

She took it with a curious look. He opened the door-mirror. She walked through it. He turned to leave.

Silence? It would end in silence? Then he heard the sobs. Amon cringed every time his name was heard among them. She wanted him so badly, but why? What was so special about him? All he did was hurt her.

And why? Why did _he_ want _her_ so badly? Out of anyone, why her? The answers flooded into his mind faster than he could process them. All the little things, all the memories of quiet times meaning more to him than anything. Her embrace moments ago warming his heart.

His tears, the color of blood, fell to the ground.

The sound of footsteps cut through his thoughts. "So this is how I get back?" Amon saw the man from before coming up towards him. He pointed his gun at the man's head. He took a step back. "I have a wife!" He pleaded. "Sh-she's expecting! I wouldn't have done any of this if it wasn't all for her! I did it to protect her!"

_Bang! _The bullet struck his chest and his form flaked away around it. He shattered away. "Same here."

The darkness called. Amon's job was done. Finally, he could sleep again.

The darkness took him and laid him down inside it's bowels where Amon slept, dreaming of her.

* * *

It's done! Now for the sequel! It will be called Sleeping Images, so keep a look out for it!

One thing: I was having trouble getting Robin's thoughts down and i wanted to make sure it made sense. Most of the time thoughts are more of feelings and realizations then actual words forming in your mind and i was wonder how in all of everything i was going to write them. How do you write something like that? using words? I don't know. Eventually i ended up with this and i liked it so i hope it made sense.

Anouther thing: In the sequel i want to keep having it from mutiple points of veiw like this first one but Amon's not exactly able to have a point of veiw (not like he's not in it, he is, it's just complicated) so i'm thinking of having the other members of the stn-j all have their own pov's but not seperate chaps because their little parts won't be very long. I would like you guy's-es opinion on this.

I'm excited for the sequel because this was the funnest thing to write and this next part will be even funner. Hope it's as fun to read as it is to write! Please Review!

Oh and, Do you think Amon is Alive or dead? I haven't actually said either way and i'm curious to see what you think!


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